Niefred Serpa-Acosta, a member of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in an armed break-in at an Aurora apartment complex and a subsequent kidnapping. The incident, captured on video, highlighted the gang's takeover of the Edge at Lowry apartments. An Arapahoe County judge imposed the sentence after Serpa-Acosta pleaded guilty to burglary, assault, and weapons charges.
On August 18, 2024, Niefred Serpa-Acosta joined five other Tren de Aragua members in forcing their way into the Edge at Lowry apartments in Aurora, Colorado, an incident recorded in a viral video showing them armed. Minutes later, a fatal shooting occurred at the complex, according to CBS Denver, though Serpa-Acosta fled the scene.
In December 2024, police arrested Serpa-Acosta for his involvement in kidnapping a couple at the same complex. Disguised as a woman and wearing a wig, he participated in the attack where the woman was pistol-whipped and the man stabbed in the thigh. He later pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to menace, assaulting occupants, and using a weapon during the crimes, leading to his 12-year sentence from an Arapahoe County judge last month, as reported by 9 News.
Serpa-Acosta, a Venezuelan national, entered the U.S. illegally via El Paso, Texas, in December 2022 and was released after an initial deportation order. He had prior arrests for theft in June 2023 in Lakewood, Colorado; April 2024 in Fort Collins; and a third in a Denver suburb for resisting an officer, obstructing police, and larceny, after which ICE took custody. An immigration judge had ordered his deportation before the August incident, but the Biden administration released him from ICE custody a month prior, reportedly due to Venezuela's refusal to accept removal flights—a issue resolved under the Trump administration through a deal with the Maduro regime.
Serpa-Acosta admitted his gang affiliation to federal authorities and bears the organization's signature tattoos, according to Homeland Security sources. Meanwhile, Colorado officials, including Governor Jared Polis, denied the gang's control over Aurora apartment complexes. During his campaign, President Donald Trump promised 'Operation Aurora' to dismantle the gang's presence, leading to immigration raids that arrested dozens of members in Colorado.